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Sushiko's Kinjite cocktail
Sushiko's Kinjite cocktail
Sushiko

Satisfy a Need for Heat with These Spicy Cocktails

These 15 drinks will help heat up a chilly fall.

by Jamie Liu
View as Map
Sushiko's Kinjite cocktail
| Sushiko
by Jamie Liu
cocktail week logo

Chili-heads will try and find their fix any way they can, whether it's finding the hottest curry, the most incendiary wings, or dousing all their food with sriracha or Tabasco. Now, heat-seekers can look to a number of cocktails to help satisfy their craving.

They say "where there's smoke, there's fire." And that's certainly the case for many spicy cocktails, which often feature smoky mezcal, though its more genteel cousin, tequila, is also very popular. The strong, earthy spirits are intense enough to match even the highest Scoville-unit peppers.

Another common factor among many spicy cocktails is the use of tropical fruits like passionfruit, pineapple, mango, and lime to tame the fire of peppers and complement some of their naturally fruity characteristics.

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701 Restaurant

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Asian Bloody Mary
Chris McNeal's Asian Bloody Mary combines three sources of heat -- wasabi, sriracha and horseradish vodka -- with lemongrass, soy, tomato and black pepper.

701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20004
(202) 393-0701
(202) 393-0701

Also featured in:

Black Jack

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Paloma Picante
Black Jack offers a spicier take of the classic La Paloma with Tanteo jalapeño tequila, house made grapefruit soda, and lime.

1612 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 319-1612
(202) 319-1612

Also featured in:

BLT Steak

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Davey Crockett
This spicy mezcal cocktail has a hint of fall with apple-infused Stoli, cilantro, and jalapeño.

1625 I St NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 689-8999
(202) 689-8999

Also featured in:

Bourbon Steak Washington DC

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Skaal
This kicky nod to the Swedes combines aquavit, fresh lime, celery and habañero.

2800 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 944-2026
(202) 944-2026

Also featured in:

Founding Farmers

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The Bone
Founding Farmers serves several spicy cocktails, but the one to go for is The Bone with Knob Creek bourbon, lime juice, and Tabasco, garnished with a candied bacon lolly.

1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 822-8783
(202) 822-8783

Also featured in:

Iron Gate

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Smoke Gets in Your Rye
This cocktail, part of Tom Sietsema's fantasy meal, combines the smokiness of mezcal with Old Overholt rye, herbaceous cocchi vermouth, averna, and a hint of heat from habanero bitters.

1734 N St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 737-1371
(202) 737-1371

Also featured in:

Nage Bistro

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Fahrenheit 451
This Asian-influenced cocktail featured jalapeño vodka with muddled cucumber, ginger, orange juice and lemongrass simple syrup.

1600 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 448-8005
(202) 448-8005

Also featured in:

The Partisan

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Holiday in the Sun
Tepache is a relatively new spirit to the scene, but has long been on the scene in Mexican taquerias. It's made of pineapple rinds fermented with cloves, cinnamon, allspice and piloncillo. Bar manager Jeff Faile mixes it with mezcal, Domaine de Canton, lime, and habanero shrub.

709 D St NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Also featured in:

Ping Pong Dim Sum

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Tennessee Electric Tea
This mouth numbing cocktail features Jack Daniels, orange liqueur, lemon juice and Coke served with a Sichuan bud. Though the buds have no relation to Sichuan peppercorns, the effects are the same.

900 7th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 506-3740
(202) 506-3740

Also featured in:

Rasika West End

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Kamini
Rasika West End offers a spicy take on the classic Pimm's cup. It features chili-infused gin and a ginger syrup to the traditional lime juice.

1190 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 466-2500
(202) 466-2500

Also featured in:

Republic

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Sex in Public
This cocktail with a risque name features Peachy Mama peppers, an heirloom variety grown at local Even' Star farms. Similar in flavor to habaneros without the same intense heat, it's used in a shrub combined with gin, honey, and basil.

6939 Laurel Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912
(301) 270-3000
(301) 270-3000

Also featured in:

Sushiko

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Kinjite
The Kinjite (prohibited in Japanese) is fruity and spicy with vodka, passionfruit, peach puree, pineapple, peach schnapps, Tabasco, and jalapeños.

5455 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
(301) 961-1644
(301) 961-1644

Also featured in:

Toki Underground

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¡Godzilla!
This cocktail features ma la numbing heat from a Szechuan peppercorn sage syrup set in the middle of an ice flower that gradually adds more heat to the reposado tequila ocho as the ice melts.

1234 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002
(202) 388-3086
(202) 388-3086

Also featured in:

Wisdom

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Dragon Tit
The Dragon Tit is the hottest of several spicy cocktails at Wisdom. It throws habañero-infused tequila with pomegranate juice and Chambord.

1432 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 543-2323
(202) 543-2323

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701 Restaurant

701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Asian Bloody Mary
Chris McNeal's Asian Bloody Mary combines three sources of heat -- wasabi, sriracha and horseradish vodka -- with lemongrass, soy, tomato and black pepper.

701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20004
(202) 393-0701
(202) 393-0701

Black Jack

1612 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20005

Paloma Picante
Black Jack offers a spicier take of the classic La Paloma with Tanteo jalapeño tequila, house made grapefruit soda, and lime.

1612 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 319-1612
(202) 319-1612

BLT Steak

1625 I St NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

Davey Crockett
This spicy mezcal cocktail has a hint of fall with apple-infused Stoli, cilantro, and jalapeño.

1625 I St NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 689-8999
(202) 689-8999

Bourbon Steak Washington DC

2800 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, D.C. 20007

Skaal
This kicky nod to the Swedes combines aquavit, fresh lime, celery and habañero.

2800 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 944-2026
(202) 944-2026

Founding Farmers

1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

The Bone
Founding Farmers serves several spicy cocktails, but the one to go for is The Bone with Knob Creek bourbon, lime juice, and Tabasco, garnished with a candied bacon lolly.

1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 822-8783
(202) 822-8783

Iron Gate

1734 N St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Smoke Gets in Your Rye
This cocktail, part of Tom Sietsema's fantasy meal, combines the smokiness of mezcal with Old Overholt rye, herbaceous cocchi vermouth, averna, and a hint of heat from habanero bitters.

1734 N St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 737-1371
(202) 737-1371

Nage Bistro

1600 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Fahrenheit 451
This Asian-influenced cocktail featured jalapeño vodka with muddled cucumber, ginger, orange juice and lemongrass simple syrup.

1600 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 448-8005
(202) 448-8005

The Partisan

709 D St NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Holiday in the Sun
Tepache is a relatively new spirit to the scene, but has long been on the scene in Mexican taquerias. It's made of pineapple rinds fermented with cloves, cinnamon, allspice and piloncillo. Bar manager Jeff Faile mixes it with mezcal, Domaine de Canton, lime, and habanero shrub.

709 D St NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Ping Pong Dim Sum

900 7th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Tennessee Electric Tea
This mouth numbing cocktail features Jack Daniels, orange liqueur, lemon juice and Coke served with a Sichuan bud. Though the buds have no relation to Sichuan peppercorns, the effects are the same.

900 7th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 506-3740
(202) 506-3740

Rasika West End

1190 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20037

Kamini
Rasika West End offers a spicy take on the classic Pimm's cup. It features chili-infused gin and a ginger syrup to the traditional lime juice.

1190 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 466-2500
(202) 466-2500

Republic

6939 Laurel Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912

Sex in Public
This cocktail with a risque name features Peachy Mama peppers, an heirloom variety grown at local Even' Star farms. Similar in flavor to habaneros without the same intense heat, it's used in a shrub combined with gin, honey, and basil.

6939 Laurel Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20912
(301) 270-3000
(301) 270-3000

Sushiko

5455 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Kinjite
The Kinjite (prohibited in Japanese) is fruity and spicy with vodka, passionfruit, peach puree, pineapple, peach schnapps, Tabasco, and jalapeños.

5455 Wisconsin Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
(301) 961-1644
(301) 961-1644

Toki Underground

1234 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

¡Godzilla!
This cocktail features ma la numbing heat from a Szechuan peppercorn sage syrup set in the middle of an ice flower that gradually adds more heat to the reposado tequila ocho as the ice melts.

1234 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002
(202) 388-3086
(202) 388-3086

Wisdom

1432 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

Dragon Tit
The Dragon Tit is the hottest of several spicy cocktails at Wisdom. It throws habañero-infused tequila with pomegranate juice and Chambord.

1432 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003
(202) 543-2323
(202) 543-2323

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